Radiographic Examination

Procedure for Casting

Casting Procedure
QA/NDT/CASTING/RT-01/Rev. 00
17/03/2013

Name Signature

Prepared By Jiten Karmakar

Reviewed and Approved By

Jiten Karmakar
NDT level-3
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Siemens RADIOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION
PROCEDURE FOR CASTINGS
QA/NDT/CASTING/RT-01/Rev. 00
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Table of contents

Section No. Title Page

1.0 Scope 3

2.0 Reference 3

3.0 Safety 3

4.0 Personal Qualification 3

5.0 Examination arrangement 3

6.0 Selection of radiation source 7

7.0 Specific film system 9

8.0 Technique for increasing the coverage thickness 9

9.0 Reduction of scattered radiation 9

10.0 Radiographs 10

11.0 Radiographic density 11

12.0 Processing 11

13.0 Viewing condition 11

14.0 Influence of crystalline structure 11

15.0 Determination of image quality value 12

16.0 Possible discontinuities in casting 15

Introduction:
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Radiography can be used to detect internal discontinuities in a casting. The discontinuities can be gas
cavities, non-metallic inclusion, shrinkage, crack, chaplets or chills or inclusions that have lower or
higher densities than the parent metal.

1.0 Scope

This specification describes the specific procedures for industrial x-radiation and gamma radiography
for discontinuity detection purposes, using film techniques. This specification is applicable to castings
produced by any casting process, especially for steel, cast iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, nickel,
aluminium, titanium and any alloy of them.

2.0 References

DIN EN 12681, DIN EN 444, DIN EN 473/ISO 9712, DIN EN 462-1, DIN EN 25580

3.0 Protection against ionizing radiation

Local, national or international safety precautions shall be strictly applied, when using ionizing radiation
WARNING: Exposure of any part of the human body to x-ray or gamma-ray can be highly injurious to
health.

4.0 Personal qualification

Radiographic examination and evaluation is performed by qualified and capable personnel. In order to
prove this qualification, it is recommended to certify personnel in accordance with DIN EN 473 or
ISO 9712 or equivalent.

5.0 Examination arrangements

5.1 Single wall radiography of plane areas

Where

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‘Q’ is the source of radiation;

‘t’ is the nominal thickness of the material in the region under examination;
‘b’ is the distance between the radiation side of the test object and the film surface measured along the central axis
of the radiation beam;
‘B’ is the radiographic film;
‘f’ is the distance between the source of radiation and the source side of the test object measured along the central
axis of the radiation beam;
‘w’ is the thickness of material in the direction of the radiation beam calculated on the basis of the nominal
thickness. If the actual thickness of the material deviates from the nominal one by more than 10%, the actual wall
thickness shall be used.

5.2 Single wall radiography of curved areas

5.3 Double wall radiography of plane and curved areas

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5.4 Examination arrangements for complex geometry

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5.4 Acceptable examination area dimensions and calculation of minimum source to object distance

The angle of incident radiation shall not exceed 30°. This value can be larger, if special orientation of
discontinuities can be detected in this way or if it is the only way to test areas otherwise impossible to test.

The minimum source to object distance, fmin, depends on the source size‘d’ and on the object-to-film distance ‘b’.

The distance ‘f’, shall, where practicable, be chosen so that the ratio of this distance to the source size ‘d’, i.e. f/d,
is not below the values given by the following equations:

For class A: f/d 7.5 (b/mm)2/3 (1)

For class B: f/d 15 (b/mm)2/3 (2)

If the distance b<1.2t the dimension b in equation (1) and (2) shall be replace by the nominal thickness t.
In class A, if planar imperfections have to be detected the minimum distance fmin shall be the same as for class B
in order to reduce the geometric unsharpness by a factor of 2.

In critical technical applications of crack-sensitive materials more sensitive radiographic techniques than class B
shall be used.

The reduction in minimum source – to – object distance should not be greater than 40% provided that the image
quality requirements are met.

When source is located centrally inside the object and film outside and provided that the IQI requirements are
met, this percentage can be increased. However, it is recommended that the reduction in minimum source – to –
object distance is not greater than 50%.

6.0 Selection of radiation source

Selection of radiation source is based on the penetrated thickness w of the test object, the test class, the
examination arrangement and the material. For non-perpendicular incident radiation, w is the penetrated
thickness in the direction of the central beam. For double wall radiography, w is the sum of the penetrated
thickness of the test object. If there are different thicknesses imaged with one exposure, an average value of

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these thicknesses can be used.

The thickness range for Co-60 in test class A is limited to: 40mm <w 170mm for steel casting
The wall thickness range for aluminium and aluminium alloys shall be for class A : 35mm w 120mm

The thickness range for Se-75 for steel casting for test class A is : 10mm <w 40mm
and for test class B : 14mm <w 40mm.

6.1 Other radiation sources

Penetrated thickness range for gamma ray sources and X-ray equipment with energy from 1MeV and above
for steel, copper and nickel-base alloys:
Penetrated thickness, w in mm
Radiation source
Test class A Test class B
Tm 170 w 5 w 5
Yb 169 1 w 15 2 w 12
Ir 192 20 w 100 20 w 90
X-ray equipment with energy from
30 w 100 50 w 180
1MeV to 4MeV
X-ray equipment with energy from
w 50 w 80
4MeV to 12MeV
X-ray equipment with energy above
w 80 w 100
12MeV

6.2 X-ray equipment

To maintain good flaw sensitivity, the X-ray tube voltage should be as low as possible. The maximum values of
tube voltage versus thickness are given in the bellow figure.

Maximum X-ray voltage for X-ray devices up to 500kV as a function of penetrated thickness and material

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7.0 Specific film system classes

When using a selenium source for the radiography of steel, copper and copper alloys, and nickel and nickel alloys
for class A, at least film system class C5 (D7) and for class B, at least film system class C4 (D5) shall be used. Front
and back lead screens with a thickness of 0.1mm to 0.2mm shall be used.

When using selenium source for the radiography of aluminium and titanium and their alloys for test class A, at
least film system class C5 (D7) shall be used. Back lead screens with a thickness of 0.1mm to 0.2mm and front
lead screens with a thickness of 0.2mm shall be used.

8.0 Techniques for increasing the covered thickness range

In many applications it is useful to image a large thickness range within the given limits of the optical density with
one exposure. This can be done by one of the following techniques:

- Multiple film technique

- Contrast decreasing by higher radiation energy or beam hardening
- Thickness equalization

8.1 Multiple film technique

For multiple film technique two or more films are expected at the same time and viewed single or together.
These shall be at least one screen between each of the films. When paper backed lead screens are used two
screen shall be inserted with the metal layer to the film side.

The film areas with low density shall be masked to avoid dazzle whilst viewing.

Viewing identification marks (at least 2) shall be imaged to ensure the exact positioning of multiple films on top
of each other. The geometrical features of the casting and of their images on the films shall correspond.
The density of a single film shall not be less than 1.3, if double film viewing is used.

8.2 Contrast decreasing by higher radiation energy

A contrast decreasing by higher radiation energy is only permissible in test class A.

For X-ray sources up to 500kV, maximum permissible tube voltage may be exceeded by max. 30% as mention in
6.2. For increasing the covered thickness range, X-ray sources may be replaced by gamma ray sources or linear
accelerators but the image quality requirements shall be met.

8.3 Beam hardening

Beam hardening for contrast decreasing is only permissible for class A.

Image quality requirements shall be met.

8.4 Thickness equalization

In class A, imaging different wall thickness with one exposure on one film is possible by covering the area of
thinner wall thickness – which is imaged on the film with higher density – with material equalizing the
differences in wall thickness, so that the requirements of density are met for the whole thickness range.

The equalizing material shall be free from discontinuities and from coarse structure and shall not cause image
disturbance that could harm a good analysis of the examined area.
9.0 Reduction of scattered radiation
9.1 Filters and collimators
In order to reduce the effect of back scattered radiation, direct radiation shall be collimated as much as possible
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to the section under examination.

With Ir 192 and Co 60 radiation sources or in case of edge scatter a sheet of lead can be used as filter of low
energy scattered radiation between the object and the cassette. The thickness of this sheet is 0.5mm to 2mm
in accordance with the penetrated thickness.

9.2 Interpretation of back scattered radiation

If necessary, the film shall be shielded from back scattered radiation by an adequate thickness of lead at least
1mm, or of tin at least 1.5mm, placed behind the film-screen combination.

The presence of back scattered radiation shall be checked for each new test arrangement by a lead letter B
(with a height of minimum 10mm and a thickness of minimum 1.5mm) placed immediately behind each cassette.
If the image of this symbol records as a lighter image on the radiographs, it shall be rejected. If the symbol is
darker or invisible the radiograph is acceptable and demonstrates good protection against scattered radiation.

10.0 Radiographs

10.1 Identification of radiograph, examined area, film position plan

There shall be a clear identification of the examined area and of the corresponding radiograph.

For casting which require a large number of radiographs a film position or photo documentation shall be
prepared. The position of each film and the corresponding examined areas shall have a clearly defined
co-ordination.

10.2 Marking of the test areas

The position of the examined areas shall be shown by markers when it is expected that the radiograph will not
show it. These markers shall consist of a more absorbing material than the casting to show-up the examined
area on the radiograph. The position of the markers shall also be recorded on the surface of the casting

10.3 Overlap of film

When radiographing an area with two or more separate films, the films shall overlap sufficiently to ensure that
all the examined area is radiographed. This shall be verified by a high density marker placed on the surface of
the object which will appear on each film.

10.4 Verification of image quality

The image quality shall be verified by the use of image quality indicators (IQI). If the IQIs cannot be placed on
casting, the image quality shall be verified by one representative test object with an IQI on it on the same film.
If a high number number of radiographs has to be taken under the same conditions with one exposure, the
Image quality shall be verified by at least one IQI on each film. When an area with different wall thickness has
to be radiographed, the IQI shall be positioned at the examined area with the largest wall thickness.

For exposures of circular objects with diameter of 200mm and above with the source centrally located at least
three IQIs shall be placed equally spaced at the circumference.

The wall thickness in the area of the location of the IQI and the IQI type shall be recorded, in order to make a
verification of the image quality.
11.0 Radiography density requirements

Exposure conditions shall be such that the total density of the radiograph (including base and fog density)
in the inspected area is greater than or equal to that given below.
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In order to avoid unduly high fog densities arising from film ageing, development or temperature, the
fogdensity shall be checked periodically on a non-exposed sample taken from the film being used, and
handled and processed under the same conditions as the actual radiograph. The fog density shall not
exceed 0.3. Fog density here is defined as the total density (emulsion and base) of a processed, unexposed
film.

The radiograph density may be reduced to 1.5 for class A and to 2.0 for class B if the IQI requirements are
Met.

When multiple film technique is chosen, the lower limit of the radiograph densitymay be reduce to 1.5 for
Class A and 2.0 for class B provided that the IQI requirements are met. If double film viewing is requested
the density of one single film shall not be lower than 1.3.

12.0 Processing

Films are processed in accordance with the conditions recommended by the film and chemical manufacturer
to obtain the selected film system class. Particular attention is to be paid to temperature, developing time and
washing time. The radiographs should be free from imperfections due to processing or other causes which
would interfere with interpretation.

13.0 Viewing condition

The radiographs should be examined in a darkened room on a viewing screen with an adjustable luminance.
The viewing screen should be masked to the area of interest.

14.0 Influence of crystalline structure

Diffraction and absorption in crystalline structures can result in diffraction mottle in a radiograph. Diffraction
mottle can be confirmed by changing the exposure technique, e.g. by choosing a higher radiation energy or by
increasing the distance between the surface of the test object on the radiation side and the film.

Diffraction mottle can occur in some light alloys, copper alloys, cobalt and nickel alloys and austenitic steels.

15.0 Determination of image quality value

For wire type IQIs the number of the thinnest wire which is still visible on radiograph shall be taken as the
Image quality value achieved. The image of a wire is acceptable to be visible if a continuous length of at least
10mm is clearly visible in a region of uniform optical density.

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Single –wall technique: IQI on source side

Double-wall technique; Double image; IQI on source side

Double-wall technique; Single or double image; IQI on film side

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Wire numbers, diameters and limit deviations (Dimensions in millimetre)

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Types of IQI and wire materials used for selected groups of materials

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16.0 Possible discontinuities in casting – Reference radiographs and designation

16.1 References for evaluation of radiographs

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16.2 Discontinuity code number

16.3 Discontinuity code symbol

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